


The Heir and The Seer

by MystBornLord



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-08-17 04:12:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8130019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MystBornLord/pseuds/MystBornLord
Summary: Your name is John Egbert. And you may be in love with a Seer.This would normally be fine, except that you don't quite know how to tell her.And that's probably the least of your concerns.





	1. Chapter 1

Your name is John Egbert, and today is your third Ascension Day. This day marks the third year since your ascension to a God Tier. As such, you’re expected to go into the city and speak to Skaia. This is something that all God Tier’s are expected to do, but you have one problem.

You REALLY don’t want to go into the city.

Yes, it’s stupid, since you won’t be in there for long, but it’s always a little bit uncomfortable when you go in there.

Currently, you’re standing outside one of the gates leading into the city, watching the midday crowd shuffle through. There are two Knights standing on either side of the gate, watching for any God Tiers attempting to enter. You heave a big sigh and walk towards one of them. Fortunately, it’s a familiar face. A short, gray, angry face.

“Name?” Karkat groans out, holding a clipboard in his hands.

“Karkat, you know me!” You reply happily.

Karkat sighs deeply, “Yes, I do. Now, just, give me your Title, or fuck off.”

You frown a little, “Karkat, are you alright? You didn’t even try to insult me.”

“I know. It’s just, this is so fucking boring. Seriously, I’ve been out here for four goddamn hours, watching this tide of human, troll, and carapacian refuse slowly shuffle their way into the city. I just, I can’t muster up the mental fortitude required to form any creative thoughts.” He slumps his shoulders.

“Aw, come on Karkat, I bet you can come up with something! Of all the people I know, you are the absolute best at giving insults.” You give him what you hope to be an encouraging smile.

“Are, are you serious?” He holds out his hands, “You are actually asking me to insult you? That has to be one of the absolutely dumbest things I have ever heard spew from your waste chute. Congratulations, Egbert, you have officially won the award for ‘Dumbest Shitfuck to Ever Spew Bullshit’, the entire crowd gives a standing ovation, and immediately commits honorable suicide to prevent themselves from being infected by your stupidity.” Throughout his rant, Karkat’s arms gesticulate wildly, and you have to step back a little to avoid getting slapped in the face.

Once he finishes, you give him a huge grin, “See, don’t you feel better?”

“Fuck off. Just give me your title and get the fuck out of here.”

You laugh a little, “John Egbert, Heir of Breath.” He hastily scrawls it down onto his clipboard, then waves you toward the gate. You shuffle through with the crowd, only able to move as fast as the great, plodding beast of people can. However, despite this rate, you’re soon inside the city. Once you’re a safe distance from the gate, you leap off of the ground and start flying over the city. From here, you have a grand view of the eastern side of the city. You can also see The Lord’s Citadel, the massive green palace that dominates the center of the city of Battel Fiel. From there, people can ascend to the God Tier, and subsequently be given training in their abilities.

Except for those born outside the city.

Still flying, you make your way towards The Lord’s Citadel. There’s a steady stream of carapacians moving in and out of The Citadel, along with a few God Tiers. You join the stream, heading towards the center of The Citadel, where the ascension chamber, and Skaia, are held. The Citadel is practically a maze of twisting green corridors, but you know your way around, even though you’ve only been here a handful of times. That being said, it’s still easy to get lost. You blame the fact that everything looks the same. Yep. That is totally what it is. There is absolutely no other reason.

You pause in one of the too-numerous corridors, unsure of where you actually are. You look around to try and get your bearings, and catch sight of a red cape fluttering around a corner. You chase after it, hoping to be able to get some directions from someone, despite who they might be.

They’re a ways down the corridor when you turn the corner, “HEY!” You shout at them, “WAIT UP, I NEED SOME HELP!” They stop, but don’t make any move to come towards you, so you rush towards them.

You skid to a stop as Dave turns his shades on you, “sup’.”

“Dave!” You shout, smiling widely, “I’m glad it’s you, and not some other asshole. I mean! Someone else, who is also an asshole. I mean, gah! This is coming out all wrong, I’m sorry.” You hold your head in your hands.

“Hey, as much as I like talking to you, I’m a little busy at the moment. What do you need?”

You take a deep breath, Dave's cool seeming to wash away your awkwardness, “Right. I’m a little lost. Could you point me towards the ascension chamber?”

Dave gives you one of his little nods, “Yeah, just go down to the other end of this corridor, hang a right, and keep going ‘till you see a shit-ton of chess guys.” He pauses for a moment, “What was that about assholes?” You’re kind of shocked by this question. Didn’t he know how things were?

You gesture at the necklace that Dave is wearing, “Oh, well, it’s because of your, thing, and my, lack, of said thing.” You’re, not really sure of what you’re saying right now.

Dave looks down at his necklace and frowns, “I don’t see what my ‘thing’ has to do with this.”

“It’s fine, Dave. It’s nothing you have to worry about. Didn’t you say that you were busy right now?” Dave looks up, pauses for some reason, then swears under his breath. Before you can ask him what the problem is, he’s dashing down the corridor, without so much as a goodbye. Oh well, you’ll ask him about it later. You turn around and follow Dave’s instructions. Go down the corridor, hang a right and holy shit, that’s a lot of carapacians. Dave was not kidding, there are SO MANY of them. They’re crowding the corridor, making it practically impossible for any normal person to get through.

Fortunately, you’re not just a normal person.

You jump into the air and begin floating over the heads of the carapacian crowd. They’re all focused on something further down the corridor, so no one notices you. The ‘something’ that they are focusing on turns out to be the ascension chamber. The white king and some of his guards are standing in front of the doorway, keeping people from entering the chamber.

You land lightly next to the white king, “What’s with all the people? Has something happened?”

The king turns to you with a broad smile, “Ah, John! No, nothing is wrong, it’s simply an eclipse today, so everyone wants to try and get a glimpse of their future.”

“But, don’t you allow people to enter, anyway?”

“Well, yes, but this many?” He gestures at the huge crowd, “No, so many people crowding into the chamber at once would be sorely disrespectful.” He shakes his head a little.

You peak into the chamber, “So, can I go in?”

“Yes, of course! You are a God Tier, and always welcome within The Lord’s Citadel.” He waves to the guards, and they step aside to let you enter. The ascension chamber is a large, round room with rows of circular benches around a white-stone bed with four posts. Instead of a ceiling, the top of the chamber looks out onto an exceptionally bright sky filled with clouds, Skaia. Supposedly, those clouds can show you visions of the future, but you’ve never seen anything in them. Regardless, you sit down on one of the benches and turn your face towards Skaia. The light isn’t bright enough to be debilitating, so you can keep your eyes open. You sit there for awhile, watching the clouds fly past. Some carapacians and a bunch of God Tiers enter the chamber, but no one bothers you.

Despite waiting for nearly two hours, absolutely nothing happens. You let out a deep sigh and close your eyes. Just like every other time when you came here, you saw nothing. You stand up and walk over to the stone bed. The bed turns blue as you approach it, the swooshy symbol of breath appearing on it. You lie down on it, take a deep breath, and close your eyes.

“ _HELLO JOHN. ID LIKE TO PLAY A GAME _”__

__Your eyes pop open. Usually, you hear this weird monstrous grumbling that you can still understand somehow. This, however, was something completely different. That strange voice had seemed to grate on your brain, like experiencing a dozen different headaches in the space of a few seconds. You stand up, feeling quite disturbed and disappointed. Today has been pretty much a waste. As you make your way back through The Citadels twisting corridors, you find your thoughts straying away from that voice, and towards nothing in particular. You’re so caught up in your not-thoughts, in fact, that you fail to notice the other person in the corridor until you two collide with each other. You’re knocked flat on your ass, and you narrowly avoid slamming the back of your head onto the floor as well._ _

__You're wondering who you hit, and whether or not you should abscond, when a soft, feminine voice cuts through your thoughts, “Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry about that. Are you alright?” You look up to see someone wearing a Seer outfit, colored for light players. They’re wearing a headband, and they have deep purple eyes._ _

__It’s Rose. You just ran into Rose. And she just asked you a question, and here you are, sitting on the floor like a doofus._ _

__You hurriedly try to think up a response, “Hoobluh?” Fantastic. Your brain is now mush. She probably thinks that you’re a bumbling idiot, now._ _

__She smirks at you, “Well, it appears that I have disoriented you more thoroughly than I had thought.” She holds out her hand to you. You take it in your own, and it feels so soft and smooth. She raises her eyebrow as she pulls you up, and you realize that you’re grinning like an idiot._ _

__You try to think of something to say to her, “Eehhh,” Yep. Still mush._ _

__She laughs. A bright, tinkling sound, “Well, when you properly regain your faculties, be sure to tell me. I would love a chance to hold a proper conversation with you.” She walks away in the direction of the ascension chamber. It’s only when she’s most of the way down the corridor that you realize, she had a necklace. A necklace with a spiral design on it._ _

__She’s one of the ‘accepted’ God Tiers._ _

__And you MAY have feelings for her._ _

__That is not good in any way._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want this to be part of a bigger series, but let's just see how things go before trying for that, alright?


	2. Chapter 2

From outside the city, you can get a much better idea of just how VAST The Lord’s Citadel is. It stands like an enormous, green, spiky turtle on a hill in the center of the city, surrounded by purple-and-gold towers. However, none of them reach higher than The Citadel, no one had tried to build so high.

“Hey!”

You wonder just how long it actually took to build The Citadel. The city of Battel Fiel was built up around it, long after The Citadel was believed to have been built.

“Hey! Egbert, look at me!”

People have been living around The Citadel for centuries, yet no one really knows what its original purpose was.

“Oh come the fuck on! LOOK AT ME!”

Most people seem to accept the idea that it was made to house and train God Tiers, and a lot of them, judging by its size. You’ve never really fully believed that. If that was the case, then why would someone go to all the effort to build The Citadel, then just abandon it, without ever using it?

“God fucking dammit! JOHN!”

The familiar voice cuts through your thoughts like a not-so-shitty sword, shocking you out of your reverie. You look up to see Vriska, wearing her Thief of Light outfit, and hanging upside down from a tree.

You blush a little, “I’m sorry. I guess I was just, wrapped up in thought for a while there.”

“Bleh!” She sticks her tongue out at you, “I don’t care what you were doing, the important thing is that you were ignoring ME!” You blush even more, “Seriously, John, what could be more important than listening to me?”

“It was nothing, really. Just, something stupid.”

Vriska drops from the tree, landing carefully on her feet in front of you, “John. Even though you’re a human, you’re my moirail. There is absolutely nothing that is too ‘stupid’ for you to talk to me about,” she puts her hands onto her hips, and she’s adopted that tone of voice she uses when she’s being truly serious, “oh god. This isn’t like the ‘training incident’, is it?”

You jump up, “What!? No, no! It’s not anything like that! I swear!”

She lets out a breath, “Okay, good. So, what is it?”

“Um, do you promise not to laugh, or ridicule me?”

Vriska sits down in front of you, “Of course I won’t, John. You can trust me with this.” You look at her, and you can see actual caring in her eyes.

You take a deep breath, “So, there’s this girl,” You pause to see if she’ll comment on that, but she just raises an eyebrow, “and, I think that I have some, feelings, for her?”

“What kind of feelings?” You’re a little confused by this question, before you remember _oh right, troll romance is weird._

“Um, I don’t really know the proper terminology, but it’s like, the uh, the, hearts, one?” That was really, stupidly phrased.

Fortunately, Vriska seems to understand what you’re trying to say, “Oh! You’re feeling flushed for her!” She smirks. Okay, maybe not so fortunate.

You blush more than you were before, “Um, yes? No? Maybe, I don’t know.”

She laughs at you, and you blush even more, “Oh, come on, John! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, you wouldn’t have told me if you didn’t want my help, right?”

“Um, well, you sort of didn’t give me any choice, there.”

Vriska stands up and claps her hands onto your shoulders, “That’s because there is no other choice,” she pulls you up, “like I said, I’m you’re my moirail, and what kind of moirail would I be if I didn’t help you get your desired matesprit?”

You just, sorta, hang in Vriska’s grip, “Um, a really bad one?”

She pats your back, “You’re damned right. And I, Vriska Serket, CANNOT fail at anything.” With that, she tugs you off in the direction of her hive.

* * *

You’re now sitting in the middle of Vriska’s room, watching as she does something on her weird grub-computer-thing. She’s got her back to you, so you can’t see what’s on it.

She turns to you, body still blocking the screen, “Alright John, I’ve got the perfect plan for you. In two weeks, there’s going to be a big ball at The Lord’s Citadel.”

“A… ball?”

“Yes, a ball. You know, with fancy outfits and actual dancing?” Vriska raises an eyebrow.

You frown at her, “I know what a ball is. Just, WHY?”

She shrugs, “I dunno. It’s a carapacian thing, I think. That’s not the point, though. The point is, this a perfect opportunity to get your girlfriends attention!” She frowns, “You know, you never even told me her name.”

You blink at her, “O-oh. Um, it’s Rose. I’ve actually met her a few times before.”

“And, knowing you, you probably acted like an idiot each time.” She sighs, then immediately perks up, “But! That’s what I’m here to fix! With my help, we’ll show her..”

“What I’m really like.” You finish.

“What? Hell no,” She snorts at that, “John, you’re a doofus through-and-through. Nah, we’re going to ease her into the doofustude, starting with an idea of sophistication. Speaking of which, I still need to show you my plan.” She moves to the side, revealing a screen filled with crude drawings and enthusiastically written words. You stand at her side to get a closer look.

She gestures at the screen, “Alright, this isn’t in any particular order, so just bear with me. First, you’re going to need a suit. I’ve got a friend who can help with that, so it shouldn’t be any trouble. Next, you’re going to have to learn how to dance, that’s REALLY important. Also, there’s this place I know where you can get properly cleaned, but we’ll do that just before the ball.” She thinks for a moment, glancing at the screen, “Oh! There’s one last thing that I forgot to put on here.” She turns to you, expression completely serious.

“You’re going to have to learn how to kiss.”

“WHAT!?” You stumble backwards.

“Come on, John. It IS important. Even if everything goes perfectly, we don’t want you making a complete fool of yourself at the end of the night.”

You’re blushing far more furiously now than you were before, “Um, l-let’s hold off on that for now, alright?”

“Alright, but I do have an idea of how to do that.” She stands up, heading towards the door, “Come on. Let’s get you that suit, and I’ll see about dancing lessons.” She leaves the room.

You regret telling Vriska about this.


	3. Chapter 3

As you walk through the city behind Vriska, you’re reminded of just why you try to limit your excursions into the city. Vriska insisted that you wear your God Tier outfits, so you feel incredibly conspicuous. You can feel people’s stares boring into you, watching you, judging your every move. Vriska is striding (she never seems to just walk) in front of you, back straight and head held high and proud. But you, you're shuffling along behind her, eyes darting and shoulders hunched, trying to avoid those stares. You shuffle closer to Vriska and try to take your mind off of those awful stares.

“So, who is this friend of yours?”

“Her names Kanaya,” she speaks over her shoulder, “and, well, I guess we’re not really friends anymore. But, that doesn’t really matter.”

“What happened? To make her, not, your friend?”

She shrugs, “Eh, just a misunderstanding. Like I said, it doesn’t really matter, she’s the best seamstress I’ve ever seen, and I’m certain that she will happily make you a suit.” She stops talking, and you can’t think of anything more to say. So, you just go back to shuffling awkwardly behind Vriska. The walk is long, or maybe it just feels that way from all the people staring at you. Regardless, you both eventually find yourselves outside of a small store sandwiched between what looks like two apartment buildings.

Vriska pats your back, “Welp, here we are! Come on, let’s get you that suit!” She pushes you forward, through the door.

There’s a jingle from above the door as you enter, and a voice sounds from the back of the store, “I will be with you in just a moment.” A troll walks up to a counter from a back room. She has oddly spiked hair, one of her horns is crooked, and she has two fangs sticking out from her mouth. She takes one look at Vriska, and frowns.

“Hey, Kanaya!” Vriska says, cheerfully, “So, I need…”

“Get out.” The troll, Kanaya, interrupts Vriska.

“What?”

“Get out. Now. You’re not welcome here.” Kanaya is looking angrier now, and she seems to be reaching under the counter for something.

“Aw, come on, Kanaya! I just need to get a suit for my friend here!”

“Then he can get it himself, without you interfering.” She’s bared her teeth now, speaking in an almost growl.

Vriska huffs, “Fine, I’ll go. See you, Egbert.” She spins around and stomps out the door.

Kanaya sighs and looks at you, apologetically, “I am sorry that you had to witness that, but there is some, as you would say, ‘bad blood’, between the two of us.”

“Is it, anything you want to talk about?” You offer.

She looks surprised that you asked, “Um, no, no, that won’t be necessary. You need a suit, yes?”

“Uh, yeah, for the uh, ball, thing, in a few weeks.”

“Of course.” She gestures for you to follow you into the back, “come with me, I need to take your measurements before making you a suit.” You follow her into the back, moving into a small side room. There’s a couple of tape measures hanging by the door, and a row of dress shoes along one wall.

She points at a height-weight scale, “First, I’m going to need your height and weight. I would also suggest that you put on a pair of dress shoes, preferably a pair you think you would wear with the suit.” You nod and crouch down to pull off your God Tier slippers, and select a pair of dark blue dress shoes. You step onto the scale as Kanaya selects a length of measuring tape and a clipboard. She talks as she works.

“Do you know why there is the segregation of God Tiers?”

“Um, not really. It’s always seemed like a really stupid thing to me.”

“...It’s because of people like Vriska. People who have little regard for human life, or only care about themselves.”

“But, aren’t there people like that IN the city?”

“Yes. But, the main difference between those in the city, and those outside it, is that those within can be easily monitored. They can be watched, judged, and, if they become violent, stopped. It is very difficult to monitor those God Tiers that live outside the city.”

“If that's the reason, then, why allow people outside the city to become God Tiers?”

“It’s because of the differences between the Dersites and the Prospitians. The Dersites enforce the segregation, and they did want to deny ascension to those outside the city. However, the Prospitians became very vocal about this. So, they reached a compromise. Anyone could come and attempt to ascend, and the Dersites would be the ones to facilitate training, allowing or denying it to whomever they wish.”

“Okay, so why deny training to only people outside the city?”

“Have you heard of the Consumption of Knowledge event? It was caused by a Thief of Mind and an Heir of Void. They coated the entire city in a ‘layer of ignorance.’ People became severely disoriented and confused, most were almost incapable of acting. The two God Tiers had been trained in the city, yet they had lived outside of it. There are many tales like that, where God Tiers that had been trained in the city, yet lived outside it, wreaked havoc across the world. That is why the Dersites deny training to all God Tiers outside the city, so that the God Tiers do not cause death and destruction across the world.” She stands up, stretching a little, “Alright, I’ve taken your measurements. I’ll make you a suit in the colors of your aspect, is that alright?” You nod, “Alright. I… know where to deliver it when I’m finished. We’ll discuss payment then.” You thank her and leave the store. As expected, Vriska is nowhere to be seen. You decide to fly back, rather than brave the crowded streets. As you fly, you think on what Kanaya spoke of.

_They’re afraid. They’re afraid of what we could do. They’re afraid of what we CAN do._ A darker thought invades your mind, _She said that it was because of people who had little regard for life. People like Vriska. But, she’s not, evil, is she?_

_God, what did she do to Kanaya?_


	4. Chapter 4

When you get back to Vriska’s hive, you notice that she’s cleared out an open space in the main room. Vriska herself, however, is nowhere to be seen.

“Vriska? Are you in here?” You shout into the empty castle.

“I’m here!” She shouts back from, somewhere, “I’m, just, finishing up a few things. Don’t you dare go anywhere!” You had no intention of going anywhere, as, without Vriska to guide you, it’s disturbingly easy to get lost in her hive. So, you just wait in the now empty main room. It’s quite big, and without any stuff, it feels empty. You’re doing a circuit of the room to pass the time when you hear a soft padding behind you. You turn around, fully expecting someone else to be there, (because Vriska always wears boots or sneakers, and she tends to make a lot of noise when in her hive), but there she is, and she looks quite, different. She’s wearing a dress, which you never expected Vriska to do. It’s a deep blue, like her blood color, and it’s covered in lines of orange embroidery. It hugs her through the chest and waist, accentuating her curves. She has blue lipstick on, and it looks like she’s covered her scars. All together, it makes her look almost, attractive.

Not that you would think about her like that! You’re just, appreciative, of what she’s done.

She gives you a look, placing a hand on her hip, “What are you gawking at?”

You throw your hands up, “W-what?! N-nothing! I just, it’s, I didn’t expect you to be wearing a dress!”

She looks down at herself and smirks, “Heh, yeah. It’s not really my preferred taste, but it does have some, benefits.” She looks up and gives you a , suggestive, look.

Your face starts to heat up, “Um, weren’t we, uh, supposed to be, doing something?”

She nods, moving into the center of the room, “Yep. Let’s get started with your dancing lessons!” She holds out a hand to you. You hesitantly take it with your right hand, and she guides your hand towards her hip. You flinch back. Vriska glares at you, “John, this is a part of dancing. You have to make contact with your dance partner.” She places her right hand onto your shoulder.

You lick your lips, “This just, kind of, uncomfortable. You know?” You shakily place your left hand onto her shoulder. She then places her other hand onto your hip, and you flinch visibly. Her grip tightens on you, enough to hurt. And then she starts dancing.

Her steps are smooth and controlled, beautifully graceful. You swallow down your discomfort and try to follow along. You don’t think you do BAD, honestly. That is to say, you sort of keep in time with her steps, and you almost manage to avoid stepping on her toes. Almost. And sort of. You are really embarrassed over your considerable lack of grace, but Vriska takes it all without complaint. She just keeps moving, offering no comment.

After a while, your legs start to ache from the constant movement. The two of you separate from each other and flop onto the ground. A quick glance at the clock shows that you’ve been, ‘dancing’, for well over an hour. You shift your gaze over to Vriska, and you’re surprised to see that she’s smiling. You would have expected her to be mad over your inability to dance, but no. She’s just sitting there, a huge grin plastered on her face, revealing all her pointy teeth.

You feel like this isn’t the right time to ask, but you’re not sure when you’ll get another chance like this, “Um, Vriska?”

“Yeah?” She turns to you, still grinning, and you start to feel worse.

“Um, what,” You have to swallow a lump in your throat, “what, happened, between you and Kanaya?”

You can see the joy fade from her face with her smile, “I told you. It was nothing, in the past. It’s not important.”

You feel really bad for ruining this moment, but you push on, “If it’s not important, then why are you so cagey about it?”

She sighs, and seems to deflate a little, “Because, because it’s not fucking important! God damn it, John, why can’t I just, keep my secrets?”

“Because we’re supposed to trust each other! How can I trust you if you don’t trust me?”

She puts her head in her hands, “I, fuck. John. Of course I trust you. I just, I don’t want to talk about this, okay? Please, just, let it go, okay?” She’s slumped down now, avoiding your gaze. You want to go over and comfort her, but the time you’ve spent with Vriska has taught you how to tell when she wants to be left alone. You slowly make your way outside, hoping that she’ll call for you to stop.

She doesn’t.

* * *

You make your way to the top-most point of Vriska’s castle. It’s built on a hill, and this tower reaches much higher than all of the others. It’s like, when she had it built, she’d tried to one-up The Lord's Citadel. You enjoy this aspect of Vriska’s hive, the immense height is comfortable for you. There’s a sense of, freedom, with being so close to the sky.

Your every instinct is telling you to go down, to find Vriska and do whatever you can to make her feel better. But, you feel like trying to comfort her right now would just make matters worse. You want to talk to, someone, anyone. Not for any particular reason, either. Just, to talk. You pull out your phone and decide to try chatting to your friends.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

EB: dave?

turntechGodhead [TG] is an idle chum!

EB: sigh

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG]

Well. That sucks. Let’s try another one.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]

EB: karkat, please tell me you’re there.

CG: HOLY FUCK, EGBERT, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?

EB: um, i just.

EB: i guess i need someone to talk to.

CG: WELL, HOLY SHIT. GUESS I BETTER DROP EVERYTHING I’M DOING AND FOCUS ALL OF MY CURRENTLY DWINDLING BRAINPOWER ON HELPING YOU THROUGH *YET ANOTHER* COMPLETE FUCK-UP.

EB: okay, thanks karkat.

CG: THAT WAS A FUCKING JOKE, EGBERT. I HAVE INFINITELY MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN WASTE MY TIME LISTENING TO YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT COMPLETELY INCONSEQUENTIAL THINGS.

EB: no, wait

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling ectoBiologist [EB]

That’s, honestly not all that surprising. You had been hoping that Karkat would be in one of his helpful moods, but apparently not. You’ve got one more person that you can try.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG]

EB: jade?

EB: please tell me you’re there.

GG: john? are you alright?

EB: um

EB: not really?

EB: it’s kind of complicated.

GG: what kind of complicated?

GG: “i’d rather not say” complicated, or “i don’t know what i’m doing” complicated

EB: the second one.

GG: hmm

GG: what is it, then?

EB: well…

EB: i think i made vriska really upset.

EB: and i’m afraid to talk to her.

EB: because i feel like i’ll just…

EB: make things worse.

GG: huh

GG: what did you do?

EB: um

EB: i…

EB: do you know what happened between vriska and her friends?

GG: no

GG: what happened?

EB: i don’t know.

EB: i asked vriska, and…

EB: she got really upset, and she didn’t want to talk about it.

GG: hmm 

GG: i could ask feferi about it

GG: would you like that?

EB: i…

EB: no.

EB: i’d prefer to hear it from vriska.

EB: thanks anyway.

GG: alright

GG: is there anything else you need?

EB: not really.

EB: i just…

EB: needed someone to talk to.

GG: well, i’m always available, if you need me

EB: thanks, Jade.

GG: no problem!

GG: <3

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG]


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, things are, tense, between you and Vriska. She’s wearing the same dress that she was yesterday, but she seems more, subdued. Neither of you say anything as she takes your hands and starts guiding you through the steps. After two hours, she pushes away from you and turns her back to you. She starts to walk away.

“Wait, Vriska…” You try to get her attention, but she just tenses her shoulders and walks faster, quickly disappearing into her castle-hive.

The next few days go by in a similar manner.

You’ve got a room here in Vriska’s hive, (which you moved into once she introduced the concept of ‘moirails’ to you,) but now you feel like being in close proximity to Vriska is a bad idea. Fortunately, you’ve got something of a replacement.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG]

EB: hey jane.

GG: John!

GG: It’s been so long!

GG: When was the last time we had an actual conversation?

EB: um

EB i don’t know.

EB: i think it was like…

EB: two months ago?

GG: Try six.

GG: That last time we ‘spoke’, was just you giving us a status update.

GG: Our last real conversation was just before you moved in with Vriska.

GG: How is that going, by the way?

EB: it’s, um.

EB: it’s not good.

GG: Oh.

GG: Do you want to talk about it?

EB: not now.

EB: i actually wanted to talk about something else.

GG: What is it?

EB: i’d like to move back in with you and dad.

GG: Oh! Of course!

EB: you’re not going to ask why?

GG: Nope! :B

GG: You’re clearly having a tough time.

GG: Some time with family should help you.

GG: You’re old room is still here, waiting for you.

EB: wow.

EB: thanks jane!

EB: i’ll see you soon, then.

ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering gutsyGumshoe [GG]

* * *

It doesn’t take you long to reach your father's house. There’s nothing you have at Vriska’s that you wouldn’t have over at his. It’s still as you remember it, white and compact, a nice little home for a small family. The only family you’ve really known have been you, your father, and your older cousin, Jane. Your father always did his best to take care of the two you, and you felt bad when you chose to move in with Vriska. But, as he will always say, he’s proud of you, no matter what.

You knock on the door. You hear some shuffling and muffled conversation on the other side. Your considering knocking again when the door is pulled open by your cousin, wearing a blank apron and covered in flour.

“John!” Before you can respond, she’s pulled you into a dusty hug. You can see your father standing in the door to the kitchen, holding a mixing bowl.

You return her hug, “Good to see you too.”

She pulls you inside, closing the door with her hip, “You came too early.”

“I, did?”

She swats you on the head, spreading more flour over you, “Of course, dummy! We haven’t finished your cake yet!”

“You didn’t have to make me a cake. I don’t expect to be here for very long.”

“But I wanted to!” Your father hands his bowl to her, and he walks up to you. He holds out his arms. You do the same, and he pulls you into a hug, strong arms holding you close. When the two of you finish, he takes his bowl back from Jane and returns to the kitchen.

Your cousin pulls off her apron and tosses it in the general direction of the kitchen, “Come on. We’ve got some things to talk about.” She grabs your shoulder and leads you upstairs, into your old room. Everything there is exactly as you remember it, minus a thin layer of dust on some things. She sits down on your bed and pats the spot next to her. You sit down, and she wraps an arm over your shoulders.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“I…” You take deep breath and let it out in a sigh, “Vriska did, something, in her past. I think it was bad. At least, bad enough to make the people she called her friends hate her. And I, I tried to get her to talk about it, and now she’s avoiding me.” You hang your head, “Am I bad friend, Jane?”

“Of course not. You’re one of the best people I know.”

“Then why won’t she talk to me? We’re supposed to trust each other, but how can I trust her, if she won’t trust me?”

“It’s clearly difficult for her. She needs to get comfortable with the idea of sharing things she’d rather not. Just give her time, and I’m certain that she’ll talk about it eventually.” She pulls you close, and you put your head on her shoulder, wrapping your arms around her. Your cousin has always been, big. Not like tall, or muscular, or anything like that. More like, plump. She never seemed to want to change, and when you asked her about it, she just laughed and said ‘I’d rather be a plump, huggable teddy bear than a thin, fragile stick.’ It’s times like this that make you glad she decided that.

Definitely like hugging a teddy bear.

You’re not sure how long the two of you sit there, but eventually your father comes upstairs and knocks on your door, announcing dinner. When you stand up, you’re surprised to see Jane wiping her eyes. The two of you make your way downstairs.

Dinner is good, as you and your cousin exchange light-hearted banter, talking about various things that have happened in the six months since you last spoke properly, with your father occasionally chiming in. For a while, you feel like things are good, like everything is just fine.

You really hope that things could stay like this.


	6. Chapter 6

You spend the rest of the night, and half of the next day, worrying. You want to tell Vriska that you’ve decided to give her some space, but you’re not sure of how she’ll react to it. She can be really scary when she gets mad, and you don’t know what will make her mad. So, around noon you finally work up the courage to message Vriska.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering arachnidsGrips [AG]

EB: vriska?

AG: John!?

AG: Where have you 8een?

AG: I’ve 8een looking everywhere!!!!!!!!

EB: oh, um.

EB: i’m spending some time with my family.

AG: And, why are you doing that?

EB: so i could, i don’t know, give you some space?

EB: vriska?

arachnidsGrip [AG] is now an idle chum

Well. That, could’ve gone worse, honestly. It could have been better as well. It’s probably best if you stay here for a bit.

* * *

It’s now the morning of the following day. You’re slumped over on the dining table, staring dejectedly at your phone when your cousin drops a large pack directly in front of you. You look up, startled, and see that she’s wearing a similar pack.

“What, is this?” You ask, poking the pack.

“It’s a camping pack, obviously,” she replies with a snort, “I’ve been planning a trip for awhile.”

You frown, “And, when were you going to tell me about it?”

“I was going to tell you at the last minute, so that you couldn’t back out like the last few times. Speaking of which, we’re going. Right now.” With that, Jane shoves the pack towards you, grabs your arm, and starts hauling you out the door. You just, sort of, go along with it. She starts dragging off towards the forest, but you pull your arm out of her grip, slide the pack over your shoulder, and follow her.

She leads you to a small clearing just inside the forest. Dave and Karkat are standing together at one side of the clearing, engaging in what appears to be a one-sided argument. (That is, only Karkat is speaking.) In the middle of the clearing, glaring at Dave and Karkat with her hands on her hips, is Jade. She looks around, and when her eyes land on you, her face lights up, smiling a wide smile that tugs at one of her scars.

“JOHN!” She yells, startling Dave and Karkat, (Dave's head just jerks towards you, while Karkat actually jumps) and she runs at you, pulling you into a crushing hug.

“Jade, you’re, crushing me,” You manage to choke out, starting to struggle a little for breath.

She drops you and holds you out at arm's length, “I’m just glad that you’re here! It’s been so long since we last spoke!”

You roll your eyes, “Yes, yes, I’ve already gone through this with Jane.”

She looks over your shoulder and, oddly, frowns, “Right. Well, seeing as how everyone’s here, let's get going.” She starts to walk away.

“Wait,” you point over at Dave and Karkat, who are still standing at the edge of the clearing, “why are they here?”

Karkat thumbs over her shoulder, “She demanded that we go. Dave is here to suffer with me.”

“She?” In answer, Dave and Karkat step to the side, revealing the person they were blocking.

It’s Rose.

Your mouth goes a little bit dry at seeing her, and you can hear Jade sigh from next to you. Jane’s reaction, however, is not what you expected.

“What?! Were you just, STANDING there this whole time?!”

“Yes.” Rose replies simply, “I felt like concealing the fact that I’m here until our little party was fully assembled,” she smirks a little, “and I was rewarded for my patience.”

Jade claps her hands loudly, “Well! Since we’re all well acquainted now, let’s get to it.” She starts to walk away. (again)

“Now, hold on there!” Jane pipes up before she can get far, “I planned this, shouldn’t I be in charge?”

Jade turns around, “Yes. You did plan this, but I’M the wilderness expert here. You, well, no offense, but you don’t really look like ‘camping’ material.”

“Excuse me?!” Okay, she’s mad now, “What experience do you have leading people? I will defer to you for advice on any ‘wilderness’ things, but…”

“Okay Miss. High ‘n Mighty, I’m going to stop you right there. First, this isn’t some expedition or military operation or anything, so there’s no ‘leading’ that needs to be done. Second, I don’t think you know anything about these woods. In fact, I doubt that you’ve ever been farther than the nearest store.” You sidle over to Dave, Karkat, and Rose, blocking out the argument going on behind you.

“So, is this like, a normal thing with them, or should we be worried?” Dave asks you, turning his gaze to the two bundles of fury screeching at each other.

“Yeah, this is, sort of normal? It never goes beyond yelling, so it’ll be fine. I think.”

“Great. Thanks Egbert. You’re confidence is so reassuring. I am just so fucking pumped for this fantastic shitfest!” Karkat roars at your face.

“That’s great!” Jade walks up to your little group, “‘Cause we’re going now. You, and you,” she points at Karkat and Jane, “can walk in the back.”

“WHY?!” Karkat whines.

“Because your screams are harmful to my sensitive ears.” Jade wiggles her ears.

“Oh, well I’m sorry, because most humans aren’t horrible mutants with goddamn woofbeast ears!”

“Ouch, Karkat, my sensitive woofbeast ears! Now, to the back with you.” Karkat shuffles into place, grumbling. You, Dave, and Rose are thus placed at the middle of the group, you suspect as a buffer between Jade and Jane.

“Well, I can see that this is going to be quite interesting indeed.” Rose expresses from next to you.

Yeah. This is certainly gonna be, interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!  
> Also, I have a tumblr. (for whatever reason you would want that for)  
> Here you go --> [myst-born-lord](http://myst-born-lord.tumblr.com/)


	7. Chapter 7

With Jade and Dave walking in front, and Karkat and Jane shoved to the back, You’re placed in the middle of the group with Rose. You had sort of expected her to have at least some trouble walking through the forest, but she seems to be just fine. In fact, of everyone here, Jane seems to be the only one having any difficulty, getting snagged on invisible branches and tripping on nonexistent rocks. You feel like you should go back and help her, but Karkat seems to be doing so just fine.

Also, Rose is right next to you. That’s, probably got something to do with it.

“So…” You try to think of something to talk about, “What’s it like, living in The Lord's Citadel?”

She shrugs, “Repetitive.”

“That’s not very descriptive.”

“I’m sorry. It’s simply that, in the time that I’ve lived there, I have become disillusioned to its grandeur,” she takes a deep breath, “as a seer, my day is very structured, and I am closely monitored. I wake up at 6, and am given an hour for my morning routine and breakfast. From 7 to 11, I have various classes, primarily history. I am then given an hour for for lunch. From 12 to 3, I am sequestered in the ascension chamber, in the hopes that I see something in Skaia. Then, from 3 to 7, I am given more classes. I then receive two hours of free time, to do with as I please, before being shuffled back to my room for sleep.” She gives you a look, “So, in summary, my day is fucking boring.”

Okay, that was a lot of stuff, “Um, you said that you were ‘closely monitored’. How, and, why?”

“It is because of my abilities as a seer. All seers are capable of viewing the future in some way. As a Seer of Light, I can see the most fortuitous path. While I am awake, I am followed by at least two minders, in case I should be struck with a sudden vision of the future.” She sighs, “They seem to misunderstand how a seer works, particularly in regards to Skaia. I do not believe that I can see anything in Skaia’s clouds.”

“Why?”

Rose straightens her back, “Inconsequential reasons. What is your day like?”

You frown, “Um, it’s really not that interesting. I mostly just spend time with my friends. We don’t really do much.”

Rose nods, “I see. To you, a day without structure is simple, worth as much to you as pocket change. Yet, to one such as I, such freedom is nigh on priceless.” She turns her head so that she’s looking directly at you, “So, John, what aspect of life do you find priceless?”

Your mouth works silently for a moment, “I… I don’t know.”

“Well, perhaps it would be best for you to find out, then?” She turns back forwards. You both stay silent for a while. You spend the time thinking on Rose’s question.

You’re so wrapped up in your thoughts that you jump when Karkat shouts from the back, “HEY, JADE! ARE WE GOING TO STOP ANY TIME SOON, OR ARE WE GOING TO KEEP WALKING UNTIL MY BODY BEGINS TO EAT ITSELF FOR NOURISHMENT?!”

Jade glares back at Karkat, pointing at her ears before clapping her hands, “Alright guys, looks like we’ll have to stop, or risk Karkat’s complaining driving us all insane!” She then promptly un-shoulders her pack and plops down onto the ground. Karkat spares a moment to flip her off before dropping onto the ground. You, Rose and Dave sit together. You each reach into your packs for a midday meal.

Your pack is filled, as you expected, with various pastries. You dig through it for something not filled with sugar, and eventually find a simple ham sandwich. You emerge, triumphantly holding your sandwich. Dave has a bottle of apple juice and, of all things, a bag of chips. Rose, on the other hand, has a plate of sushi.

You gesture at them with your sandwich, “Seriously?”

“I make my own choices, man. If you can’t handle it, too bad.” Rose nods in agreement.

“That is NOT proper camping food.”

“I assumed that the best choice of food would be something that does not require cooking.”

“But that’s raw fish!”

“It’s good.” She pops another piece into her mouth.

“It’s RAW fish.” You repeat.

Dave glances at Rose, “He’s got a point.” Rose replies by opening her mouth. All Dave has to say is, “Gross.” You, however, burst out laughing. She is not at all what you had expected. All the ‘accepted’ god tiers are supposed to be serious. Then again, Dave isn’t very serious. Before long, Jade claps her hands loudly, ordering everyone to begin walking again.

You exchange small talk with Rose along the way. You learn that she’s interested in occultic monsters, she has a partial interest in knitting, and that she’s friends with Kanaya. You tell her that you hate baking, despite the fact that your dad and cousin both do it all the time. You used to enjoy jesters and harlequins, but have since found them disturbing. Really, you just say whatever comes to mind. You do, however, avoid talking about Vriska. When she asks you where you're currently staying, you just say, “with a friend,” and let the topic drop. The next few hours pass by like that, both of you just talking about whatever comes to mind. It’s nice. You don’t go dumb, or trip over your words. You can ignore what she is, and just see a person. (An intelligent, funny, good-looking person.)

After a while, Jade calls a stop in a wide clearing. Karkat immediately flops down, followed shortly by Jane. Jade takes off her pack and pulls out a folded up tent. The rest of you follow suit. Jade snaps her fingers and, in flash of green light, her tent is set up instantly. Not to be outdone, you throw your tent-pack into the air and wave your arms, using controlled bursts of strong wind to set up your tent. Rose does something similar, only with a pair of wands, light, and a lot more control than you had. You, Jade and Rose all turn to Dave.

“Well, shit,” he drawls, “how am I supposed to top such amazing feats of magic?” He drops his tent-pack onto the ground, looks at it for a second, and then blurs. Dave (or possibly multiple Daves, you can’t tell) speeds up, setting up his tent in only a few seconds. He stops next to it, smirking at the three of you.

“Well fuck you all.” You turn around to see Karkat, lying on the forest floor with his head turned towards you. Jane is working steadily on her own tent, pointedly ignoring what's going on behind her.

“Wow, Karkat, you barely put any effort into that.” Dave points out. Karkats only response is a noncommittal grunt before planting his face into the ground. Dave blurs around both him and Jane, setting up their tents for them. He gives Karkat a pat before returning to his own tent.

“Thank you, Dave Strider, for demonstrating once again that I am a useless wiggler who cannot even put on his clothes without help.” Karkat yells at Dave's back before lifting himself off the ground.

Karkat’s rooting around in his pack when Jade stomps up to him, “Sorry, Karkat. We won’t be eating from our packs tonight.”

Karkat glares at her, “Then what the fuck are we going to eat? I don't think an animal is going to kindly drop dead in the middle of our camp.”

Jade laughs, holding out her hands, “Well, if that’s the case,” a rifle appears in her hands in a flash of light, “we’ll just have to catch it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter, hooray!
> 
> Remember, you can find me on tumblr here --> [myst-born-lord](http://myst-born-lord.tumblr.com/)


	8. Chapter 8

Out of everyone in your group, only you and Jade appear to be excited to go hunting. Rose and Jane remain quiet, Rose smiling and Jane frowning. Dave and Karkat, however, are very adamant and vocal about their opinion.

Dave speaks very calmly to Jade, “Look, Jade, I’m not gonna say that this is a bad idea. Because this an absolutely HORRENDOUS idea.”

Karkat, on the other hand, does not, “JADE, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? HAVE THE FEW, PIDDLY AMOUNTS OF BRAIN MATTER YOU HAVE LEAKED OUT OF YOUR PAN DURING THIS TRIP?! THIS WILL NOT BE GOOD, BY ANY STRETCH OF THE WORD! I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THIS WILL END WITH MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF US DEAD!” His face is all red by the time he’s done screaming.

“Oh, come on, Karkat!” Jade yells back, “you act like I’m going to let anyone die! Besides, when was the last time something went wrong on one of my hunts?”

“When was the last time? How about every time! Every single hunt that you’ve dragged me into has ended in tragedy! It doesn’t help that you always *insist* on finding the biggest, meanest, and deadliest monstrous horror around!”

“You’re over exaggerating, Karkat! None of my hunts have ever ended in tragedy! Everyone is too tough for it, anyway!”

Karkat's voice drops, “Just because we’re heroes, doesn’t mean we can’t be killed. It’s just a little bit harder than normal.”

It looks like Jade wants to yell back, and she’s already got her mouth open before you cut in, “Okay guys, no more arguing! Friends don’t argue, and we’re all friends here! Listen to the friend-leader, friend-leader knows best!” You grab both of them by an arm and smile your best friend-smile. Karkat carefully pulls his arm out of your grip, but Jade just takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh.

“He’s right, Karkat,” she says, and she sounds a lot calmer, “we’re friends, and friends don’t argue.”

“Clearly, you haven’t been paying attention,” Karkat mumbles, “I argue with all of my friends.” Dave nods, solemnly.

Rose walks up to Karkat, “If it will help, I can personally guarantee that no one here is going to die today.”

Karkat squints at her, “Is that your weird, magicky, seer shit? Or are you just trying to get me to go along?”

“Let’s say both, and call it done, shall we?” Rose turns to Jade, “Let’s head out now, before Karkat gets going again.”

“Right! Weapons out, people! Let’s go!” Jade spins on her heel and starts stalking off into the forest. Everyone follows without complaint, though you do hear Karkat mumble something. As you walk, you hold your hand out to your side and watch as wisps of blue wind gather around it, swirling for a moment before snapping into a small war-hammer.

It takes your group a while to find something to hunt, mostly because Jade and Rose spend a lot of time arguing about which way to go. But, it’s quite clear when you do find it.

A loud screeching causes you all to stop in your tracks, clutching weapons tightly.

Karkat is the first to speak up, “WHAT THE EVER-LOVING FUCK-STORM WAS THAT?!!”

“Our prey,” Jade replies, all quiet intensity, “come on. Let’s go kill it.” She starts walking off, and you all start following her because, hey, let’s not get separated when there’s a big scary monster around, alright?

It doesn’t take long to find the beast. It’s constant screeching leads you well enough. Also it’s really, really, really big. Whatever it is. The monstrous creature is crab-like in appearance, with a pure white shell, mandibles, and large claws that look like they could easily fit any two of you.

And it’s looking at you.

The creature screeches at you and slams one of its claws down on you. You and Jade leap in opposite directions, and you feel it slam into the ground behind you. Jade starts screaming and firing her rifle at it rapidly. You catch sight of Rose and Jane circling around to get at the creatures back. However, Dave and Karkat are nowhere to be seen.

A quick look shows you that Karkat is just standing still, staring at the creature as Dave lightly pulls on him to get him to move. You run towards them.

“Dave, get in there! I’ll handle Karkat!” Dave looks from the Karkat to the battle and back again before dashing off. You grab Karkat’s shoulders and force him to look at you, “Karkat, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t do this,” he mumbles, barely audible over the sounds of screeching, gunshots, and lasers, “I’m, I’m gonna get us all killed. This is it. This is how I die.”

“Karkat, listen to me!” You resist the urge to slap him, and so shake him instead, “You CAN do this! You’ve been fighting for your whole life! If anyone here is qualified to fight this thing, it’s you!” You stand up straight, turning towards the battle, “Besides, Rose said that no one’s going to die.” Karkat justs stands there for a moment, sickles clenched tightly in his fists. It’s the sight of Dave narrowly avoiding a sweeping claw that pushes him into action.

“Fuck, you’re right!” He yells, charging in, “I’m the only one out of this group of pan-damaged nookwipes that can fight this thing with any semblance of competence!” He leaps forward, hooking one of his sickles on a passing claw and swinging up onto the creature's arm, screaming the whole time.

You run forward, but pause just on the edge of the battle, watching it for a moment. Dave flash steps forward to strike at a joint, only to collide with Jane as she narrowly avoids a swinging claw. Rose aims a wand at the creature’s head, but suddenly pulls it to the side as Karkat leaps into her firing path.

“Guys! GUYS!” You yell as loudly as you can to get everyone's attention, waving your arms for added effect. You send some big gusts of wind at the creature to distract it so that everyone can get away.

“Guys, we’re not making any headway on this.” You tell them, once everyone is close enough.

Rose looks at the raging creature, “I’m afraid I have to agree. What do you suggest we do?” Everyone looks at you expectantly.

“Alright, here’s the plan. Rose, Jade, since you two are the only long-range fighters here, you need to distract it,” Jade nods firmly, “Dave, Karkat, Jane, I am going to try and make cracks in its armor, you three get your weapons into those cracks to try and do some real damage. Alright?” Everyone nods, and you all charge back into battle.

You speed towards its legs and slam your hammer into one. There’s a loud CRACK as the leg buckles, split in two and hanging by several threads. The creature bellows in pain and rage and slams one of its claws down towards you. You hurl yourself backwards and leap up, soaring around to its back. The creature spins in place, beset on all sides.

You smash the creatures back with your hammer, causing several cracks to appear in it’s shell. It bellows again, hurling a claw towards you. You raise your hammer in defense, belatedly realizing that is a terrible idea as the creature grabs your hammer and pulls it out of your hands. Dave and Jane rush in as you fly back, holding out your hand to summon your hammer back. Once it’s back, you fly up to the creature’s head, where Karkat has latched onto one of its mandibles with his sickles.

You slam your hammer into its head with as much force as you can muster, causing a big crack to spread appear. The creature screeches, and you put your hands over your ears at the sudden pain it brings. Karkat, however, leaps up next to you and starts digging his sickles into the crack. The creature starts shaking violently to try and get you two off. You leap off readily, But Karkat just clings on for dear life. Both of its claws reach up to grab Karkat. One of them is deflected by a sudden blast of light, but the other grabs Karkat by one leg and rips him off, throwing him to the side.

You fly after Karkat at full speed, but Dave beats you to it, moving so fast that all you see of him is a blur until he’s standing at the edge of the trees, holding Karkat in his arms. You want to head to him, but the creatures flailing draws you back into the battle. You fly around the edge of the field, snatching one of Rose’s wands from her outstretched hand and circling around to Jade. You wiggle the needle in her direction, and she nods at you. You fly up to the creature’s head, the wand in your hand growing from the size of a knitting needle to a railroad spike, and then larger in the few seconds it takes you to reach its head. You dig one hand into the crack in its skull plate, slamming the needle-spike in. You hold your hands behind you, summoning your hammer and slamming it down on the spike. Your strike drives the spike deep into the creature's skull, killing it quickly.

The massive creature falls to the ground, dead. You and your friends gather around the hulking corpse, Dave holding Karkat up by one arm.

“Look what happened!” Karkat screams at Rose, wincing slightly, “You said that this would go fine! You lied to get me to go along with you!”

Surprisingly, Rose stays calm, “I did not. I told you the truth, that no one would die in this. I had no knowledge that this would happen. But, if I had foreseen it, I would not have been able to stop it from happening.”

“Yeah, Rose is kinda right here,” Dave pipes up, “but, we should get back to the city and get you fixed up. Bye.” Dave swiftly flies off, carrying Karkat with him.

“Then I must leave, as well. I am not allowed outside the city without an escort.” Rose quickly follows Dave.

Jade looks to you and Jane, “Well, that didn’t go as I’d hoped,” her shoulders slump, “I, guess I should take you guys home then?”

“Actually,” you tell her, “I’m going to head back to Vriska’s hive. She’s probably pretty worried about me.”

“Alright, John,” your cousin steps close and gives you a hug, “don’t be a stranger anymore, okay?” You nod, returning her hug. Before you head off, you send a message to Vriska.

ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering arachnidsGrip [AG]

EB: vriska?

EB: are you there?

arachnidsGrip [AG] is an idle chum!

Well. That doesn’t seem good. You hurry back home, hoping that Vriska hasn’t done anything stupid while you were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter! Finally!  
> I am so sorry that I took so long to write this, I have no excuse.  
> I don't think I'll be able to finish another chapter before the end of December, but we'll see what happens.


	9. Chapter 9

When you get back to Vriska’s hive, she’s not there to greet you. This isn’t that surprising, but it still worries you.

You REALLY hope that she hasn’t done anything stupid.

“Vriska? Are you here?” You call out into the empty hive.

“John?” Vriska’s voice calls out from deeper inside, “I’m here.”

“Where?”

“Where do you think?!” Oh, right. You walk deeper into the hive, stopping at her door and knocking quietly on it. After a moment, she pulls it open, crossing her arms and leaning against the frame.

After several seconds where neither of you speak, she waves her arm at you, “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”

“Um,” you rub the back of your head, “I’m back?”

She sighs at your answer, running a clawed hand through her hair, “No, John, you’re supposed to say ‘I’m sorry’.”

“Why?”

“Because you left without telling me!” She says this as though it’s obvious, “Fucks sake, John, I thought you were smarter than this!”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” you shrug a little, “I didn’t think you would be so worried, I mean, it seemed like you were fine with it when we spoke last. Plus, you were acting all moody, and I thought that it would be a good idea to give you some space.”

“Yeah, okay, yeah, I’m fine now, see?” She smiles, as though to show fine she is, “BUT-” she jabs you in the chest, “-don’t go running off without telling me, okay? I can’t protect you if I don’t know where you are.”

“Right, I’m sorry, really,” you spread your arms, “still friends?”

She grins at you, flashing her teeth, “still friends.” You grab her and pull her into a hug, and she responds in kind after a second.

You spend the next hour telling Vriska about your short-lived trip with your cousin and friends. Oddly enough, Vriska lets you speak without any kind of interruption.

As you finish, she finally speaks up, “Well, good to know that you can have an adventure, even without my help!” You open your mouth to respond, but she holds up a finger while fishing in her pocket. She pulls out her phone, tapping it once and holding it up to her ear.

“Yo, Kan-yeah, he’s here,” she pauses for a moment, “yeah, I’ll tell… and she’s gone. Fucking rude,” she pockets her phone and leaps up, a big grin spread across her face.

She points at you dramatically, “Are you ready to look fantastic?!”

“Um, yeah? Maybe? Sure. Why?”

“Kanaya’s finished your suit, should be ready to pick up. So, John, I will repeat myself just for you, are you ready to look fantastic?”

“Hell, fucking, yes,” you deadpan, before jumping up next to her, mirroring her grin.

* * *

As you approach the city gate, the Knight on duty waves the two of you to the side, “Sorry, I can’t let you two into the city.”

“WHAT?!” Vriska screams at him, “WHY THE FUCK NOT?! WE COULD GO IN JUST A FEW DAYS AGO!”

The Knight holds up a hand, “New law, outside God Tiers aren’t allowed into the city without permission from a representative inside the city.”

“But, that doesn’t make sense!” You complain, “how are we supposed to get permission if we’re not allowed into the city?”

The Knight shrugs, “Not my problem. Now, if you could just, go away please…” they make a little shooing gesture.

Vriska takes a step FORWARDS, grabbing the Knight by their shirt and pulling them closer, “Fuck. That,” Vriska breathes, “do you really think that you can tell me what to do? ME? I’m going to go in there, and YOU’RE not going to stop me, clear?” She shoves them backwards and stalks off to the gates. You move to follow her, but the Knight smacks an arm across your chest, a long knife held in their hand.

They point another knife at Vriska, “I CAN kill you, and no one will fault me for doing so.”

Vriska turns around, staring at the Knight for a moment before throwing her head back and laughing uproariously.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! You think that you can kill ME?! Listen, little fucker,” she raises her arm, a long blue sword appearing in a flash of light, “you don’t have a chance in hell.” She grins, showing all of her pointed teeth. The Knight shoves you back, knives raised and face furious. You raise an arm, preparing to summon your hammer, but a familiar voice interrupts you.

“What, exactly, is going on here?” You and the Knight spin around, watching, tense, as Rose strides up to you. She glances from you to Vriska before inclining her head towards the Knight, “Well?”

“I’m just taking care of this-” the Knight jabs a knife at you, “-rabble.”

“Oh?” Rose glances at Vriska again, “they don’t appear particularly violent. I see no reason to deny them entry.”

The Knight hesitates for a moment before answering, "It's a new law. Outside God Tiers are not allowed into the city without permission from a representative inside the city."

"Is that so?" Rose smirks at them, "I do believe that is completely false."

"What makes you say that?"

"It's rather simple, really," Rose gestures, "I'm a Seer. As such, I look over all of the new laws being passed, and I know for a fact that such a law was never actually passed. So, you have no actual reason to do this." The Knight sputters for several seconds, before turning around and stalking off into the city. Rose nods to both you and Vriska before following the Knight into the city.

“Well, that was fortunate,” you tell Vriska as she walks up to you.

“Bullshit. She’s a Seer, John. Luck has nothing to do with it.”

“But, she’s a Seer of Light, isn’t that all about luck?”

“Not with Seers, John,” she frowns, “Everything that a Seer does, it’s for a reason.” The two of you look at each other for a moment, until Vriska spins around, “Let’s get your fucking suit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for how long it took to get this out, I'll try to get the next one done much sooner.


End file.
